Cespitularia African Blue Xenia

[FragGuy]

I posted this in the Coral Forum but you guys might be able to help with my question as well.

Does it ever pulse?

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=484003

Rafael

[coralite]

Raf you darn well that you're likely the only person who has cespit., I ve been after it forever. Post more pics. I read the details of how you got it but can you get more?

[FragGuy]

Coralite,

I don't know about being the only one, I have heard rumors out there...LOL

You know that this is a once in a blue moon deal. The people that got the order told me that they would not do it again cause they lost most of the corals and fish that they got on that African shipment. They ordered 20 or 30 Chrysirus angels and only 6 made it alive. It was a disaster.

Rafael

[TippyToeX]

Cespitularia

Can't wait for mine.

[FragGuy]

Thanks Amy for the reference.

[FragGuy]

I added new pictures:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...t=cespitularia

[gflat65]

Someone over in the Livestock Selling forum has 1/2" frags for $150.

[stellablu]

Aquacon.com has them for much cheaper.

[Adam]

stellablu,

Aquacon has quite a shaky reputation. Aquacon and other online retailer have listed Cespitularia over the years that I searched for it, but could never actually deliver. It was either something else or they simply never actually had it.

Rafael,

I have seen the polyps on mine weakly contract, but never anything I would ever go so far as to call pulsing. Fabricius and Alderslade states something along the lines of "some colonies may pulse". So, I would take that as meaning that at least at the time of printing "Soft Corals and Sea Fans", no literature reports confirmed pulsing. Personally, I am doubtful that at least my specimen is pulsitile.

[violation]

Adam

[FragGuy]

Adam,

I read the same things on some of the literature and agree with you that they are probably not pulser. I have looked long and hard at mine and never seen it happen. They will retract quickly when fed and will hold tight for a little while and then open up and stay open.

[big bear1]

hi frag guy, . my 2 blue xenia colony that is in my tanks right now doesn't pulse. also your frags rocks, nice stuff! can you post a pic of your xenia?

[FragGuy]

Thanks Big Bear1.

Most of the pictures of mine are on this post.
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...5&pagenumber=1

But here is one of them.


Rafael

[big bear1]

one of my colony looks exactly just like yours

[FragGuy]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that they are the same.

Thanks.

[FragGuy]

Picture of one of the first generation frags:


The picture is not great, but it's enough to show the frag. This frag is between 1� and 2" tall.

The Coral Forum has been shut down so I will continue to post progress here.

Rafael

[Jdubb]

That is truly a gorgeous coral, pulsing or not. edited

[FragGuy]

Thanks Jdubb.

Cespitularia are beautiful corals. There are even bright red variants. I have only seen them in pictures though.

[coralite]

Raph, as always, you know the coral is gorgeous. I just got this piece of efflatournaria back, the only cutting that survived dicing when the original colony started to crash. It is also a rare Xeniid and this one has orangeish polyp faces with dark margins and the polyps appear light colored when contracted.

[FragGuy]

Ciralite,

You have a rare beauty there!

Rafael

[RandyO]

Great looks corals guys.

[pondfrog]

Mine does seem to contract weakly every once in awhile, I would agree however that pulsing is much too strong of a word! Seems to grow pretty well so far, I've got two more stalks starting at this point. Here's my piece, I"m not quite the photographer fragguy is!


Steve

[FastFish720]

Not to wreck this thread, but my wholesaler has gotten 3-4 colonies already. They do not seem to pulse though. I haven't bought one myself though. Seems to like the lower light.

[FragGuy]

Steve,

The only time that mine contracts is when food particles are introduced. But it's not a pulsing action, just a contraction and then eventual polyp expansion.

Could that be the case with yours?

Rafael

[pondfrog]

Rafael,
That may in fact be the case, it is currently in a growout tank I have and the only time I glance in there is when I am feeding my maroon clown pair that inhabit the tank!
They never really unfurl, but they do give sort of that distorted, closed twist kind of pulse in a rather weak fashion.
Steve

[TypeSH]

Wow, those are nice.
Do you have pictures of the red variety? and what lighting are you growing the blue xenia under?

Thanks,
Sam